An image reading apparatus that reads a reading surface of a document includes, for example, a platen, a copyholder, and a reading unit. The copyholder includes a transparent flat plate through which light penetrates and is configured to be openable and closeable. When being closed, the copyholder presses a document placed on the platen by the transparent flat plate to hold the document so that the document does not move. The reading unit uses light penetrating the transparent flat plate from the reading surface of the document that is pressed by the transparent flat plate, to read the reading surface thereof (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 63-31268 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 09-294187).
According to such an image reading apparatus, a user needs to open or close the copyholder every time the user changes a document to be read or turns a page. Therefore, load increases when the user computerizes many books by using the image reading apparatus.